Didyme's Tale
by canarycharm
Summary: This takes place in ancient Roman time. Fifteen years ago, Aro, Didyme's beloved brother, went missing. Days after her birthday, Aro had come back. But it isn't as it seems...
1. Kidnapped

I was staring out into the blue sky of my bedroom window. The sun was shining very brightly, and the sound of birds twittered in the air. _Hmm...another bad omen_. The sun disgusted me. Although my skin was slightly tanned, I hate the warmth and sunlight. That didn't matter much today though. A few days ago, I just come of age and became a woman and my parents had finally found someone whom I can be married off to.

In the Italian Bronze Age, no one took women legitimately. We were treated like slaves for men. The only thing what we were good for was being married off and connecting two great families together. Mother and Father, who are of the first class, had already decided whom to give me to. As Mother always said, "It is for the good of the family, and the good of the Volturi name." Of course, I was unhappy. But despite that, I tried to hide my dislike and did my best to make everyone around me happy. I didn't want anyone to hate me, for even though I was a woman, I wanted to be more useful than that.

I live in the palace, where Mother, Father, and I spent our whole lives. The palace was passed down, generation after generation in our family. It's in the middle of a small town of peasants and farmers. This small town is the only human settlement in the Southern Apennine Mountains. Our palace is the grand white castle that you can spot from few acres away, even out of the town. In fact, I think it's the only building in this whole town. Most of the peasants and farmers in this day and age have unified under a new culture known as Apennine. It's recognized by its pastoral and agricultural settlements. All I ever see are sheep and their shepherds out in the fields.

There was a great feast at the party. Both families, mine and my unknown fiancée's, were here today to celebrate the upcoming marriage. The palace was decorated with White Mountain lilies, and other exotic flowers. Even the pillars were stripped of their usual décor, and decorated with white flowers. The party guests walked through the big iron gates, and crowded the little stone walkway of the palace. I've never seen so many people at the gates.

I was looking down on the guests, from my balcony, for I was still changing into an evening gown to wear. My sullen eyes stared down on the people with much indifference. A fat, corpulent man was gulping down all the wine at the winery table. There were women in the crowd, gossiping with one another in their nasal, brittle voices. _Hmph, tramps._

My wandering eyes stopped to stare at a man standing by the iron gates. This man wore a long black cloak, and was, as if carefully, standing only in the shadow made by the palace walls. His skin looked pale white, and had great contrast between his garments. But that wasn't what attracted my attention to him. He had the same exact face as my brother.

My body froze in shock.

_Was it him?_ No, it couldn't be. He went missing fifteen years ago. But as I continued to stare down at the man, he just looked so much like my brother.

I have to see him.

As quickly as I could, I slipped into a silky purple dress, and tide up my long, wavy black hair into a bun. A few strands were still hanging out from the bun, but that didn't matter right now. I hurtled out of my room and ran down the hall. Surprised servants looked at me with their shocked expressions. The servants pressed up against the walls to let me through. One slave dropped a vase, and the sound of its shattered pieces echoed through the hallway. One of my maids shouted, "Milady!" But I ignored them. On the stairs, I skipped every step so I could get down faster. On the last one though, I tripped and fell flat on my face, onto the marble floor. My hands pushed my torso up from the floor, "Ugh…"

My hair was ruined, but what did I care. Swiftly, I got up again. When I reached the main entrance, I shoved the large wooden doors open and it hit the white pillars with a loud bang. The crowd assembled outside broke into silence, and stared at me with surprised expressions. Ignoring them, I lifted up my long flowing dress with my hands as I skittered down the white steps of the palace. Then I ran towards the gates.

_He has to be there, he just has to be. _

People scurried out of my way as I hurtled into the crowd. I passed the orchards, passed the terrace. As I finally reached the big iron gates, my feet came to an abrupt stop. There was no one here. My eyes darted around, left and right, trying to find the mysterious man who looked so much like my brother. I breathed in uneven breaths.

_No…_

Staring at the big white walls that surrounded the palace, I whispered in a voice full of despair, "Aro…"

My head sank down in shame and embarrassment. It was just my imagination. I was so stupid. This isn't me. How could I have rushed out like an angry bull, and come out here thinking that my brother was here? I'm making everyone unhappy because of me. Sighing in defeat, I returned to the palace.

Apologizing to the now sullen crowd, I introduced myself to them. They lightened up and greeted me with kind smiles. Even though I deserved no kindness, I returned their smiles with a sad one of my own. People greeted me here and there, glad that they got to meet the future lady of the house. There were tables of fruits and meat inside the palace walls. But I only grabbed a goblet of wine. My appetite was lost. Sipping a little here and there, I mingled with the party guests, and greeted some relatives I've never met before. My façade was wearing down; I was too depressed today. Usually, I would love parties. But this one signified my arranged marriage. After I've finished my drink, I set the goblet down onto one of the tables, and went to sit in one of the benches in the orchards.

Mother came up to me that evening and said, "Didyme, my dear daughter. You should be more happy. You are going to be married. Stop spouting your clever words, to entertain everyone else. You yourself must be happy. You are finally a woman, Didyme. Your nature was much better than your foul brother's. Come, come and meet your future husband."

My missing brother, Aro, had run away a few years ago. He's thirteen years older than I. Indeed, he was a demon. He had an evil nature. His greediness had always gotten him into trouble. Aro wasn't greedy for money however... it was for power. He was never content. But, I loved my brother still, and I hadn't seen him for fifteen years. For now, my best presumption is that he's dead. Oh, I missed him so much.

After everyone had went home, Mother, Father, and all the servants had gone to sleep. I lay awake in bed, thinking about my whole life: childhood, adolescence, and my new adulthood. I did not like it. I did not want to be married and given away. I didn't even like my fiancée. He was an ugly man with a stubborn face. Why did I have to be married now? Couldn't Mother and Father wait a few years, at least, for me to become… closer to this man? Though the thought disgusted me, at least it would make Mother and Father seem less ignorant. Filled with frustration, I got out of bed and decided to go out and take a walk in the orchards.

It's quite quiet tonight. The only sounds were the sounds of my footsteps upon the marble walkway of the orchards. I looked up at the starry night sky. There were many stars out tonight. When I reached the middle of the orchards, there were some fireflies floating just above the fountain. Water trickled down the stone fountain, making a quiet splash into the small pool. Sitting down on the edge of the fountain, I lifted my head and looked up gazing at the stars.

A few moments later, someone grabbed my shoulder. I screamed and, in a blurred motion, a white hand went up to cover my mouth. I looked up at the man with panicked eyes, and then I gasped in disbelief at who it was. He had black hair, and had father's face, except for his eyes. Mother's eyes were covered in shadows because of the darkness. He was smiling at me and whispered, "Hello Didyme." Then he let his hand off my mouth.

My lips twisted into a happy and surprised smile. It wasn't my imagination. He _is_ here! My brother was here at the party after all. He's not dead! Aro had come back!

"Aro! My brother, what are you doing here?! You nearly scared me half to death." I continued to stare at him. It looked as if Aro had risen from the dead. The last time I saw him, he didn't seem this fair and beautiful. And, where he touched my shoulder, was still cold as ice. Something had changed.

"All in good time, dear sister." Then he grabbed my left hand and held it in his for a long moment. His eyes closed, and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. This was strange, he never usually did this.

"My brother, why are you holding my palm?" I tried to pull it away, but Aro held on to it very tightly. He was so… strong.  
After a few moments, he finally opened his eyes, and smiled, "Nothing of course, Didyme." He held onto my hand, and smiled.

My mind was filled questions. Where was he in these past few years? Why did he run away? Why did he look so different? What happened to him?

And, as if he read my mind, he chuckled and said, "I was starting up a… group of my own, and I ran away to fulfill my dreams, Didyme. Forgive me if this made you unhappy." He laughed softly, "I know I look very… strange to you. But, I didn't rise from the grave." He chuckled darkly and then continued, "trust me dear sister, all your other questions will be answered in good time."

Aro gently tugged my arm and pulled me out of the orchards. We were heading toward the front gate in less than a second. How did he become so fast?

"Aro, where are you taking me?"

"To my home." He smiled back reassuringly at me.

"Shall we not tell Mother and Father?"

That stopped him short. He paused for a moment, and then said, "I don't think they'll be that useful. They are very old….." Then he started walking again. When we reached the gate, I was about to tell him that the gates would be locked but, as I looked closer, I saw that the locks had broken.

Aro and I marched out into the streets. I stared up at him in disbelief and asked, "Did you break the locks on the gates?" But he didn't answer.  
In two seconds, he pulled me up and put me on his shoulders. My arms were dangling on his back, and he started running. My eyes widened at his speed. Everything as we passed by was so blurry.

"How long do I have stay until you take me home?"

Again, he smiled at me. "I'm not taking you home, dear sister."

My face became a cold mask, "…What do you mean I'm not going home?"

"You are living with me from now on."

He didn't seem to be lying, and he seemed very confident about it. My hands balled up in fists and I yelled at him, "What?! NO! Have you lost your mind, Aro? I don't even know where 'home' is to you. You take me back to Mother and Father!" I tried to shove him, and make him put me down, but that only gave me bruises. "Aro, put me down now!"

Aro glanced back at me but didn't break him pace. "I'm sorry but you have no other choice." He looked back at me, with his eyes only a few inches away from mine.

Then I gasped. His eyes… they were bright crimson red, the color of blood.

I whispered quietly, "My brother, what are you?" Aro stopped running and stopped in the middle of the street. There was a small hole in the ground; I cringed away from it. I'm scared of the dark. And the hole probably went a long way down too. He pulled me down from his shoulder and held me in mid-air above the hole. I looked at him in panic.

"Something that you'll become very soon." He smiled one last time, and then sank his teeth into the crease of my elbow. I froze in shock. What was he doing?! Had he become a cannibal?! It took only a second for a pain to creep into my arm. Then I was on fire. A high pitched scream escaped out of my lips. My elbow was on fire! It burned, and burned! I screamed at him, "What did you do to me?! Why am I burning?! Make it stop! Make it stop!!" Aro ignored my screams.

He dropped me into the small hole. I fell into the dark. I hyperventilated and screamed even more. I hate the dark, and the fire made it even more frightening. I couldn't stop screaming. As I continued to fall, the pain spread throughout my whole entire arm. Then, my body landed smack onto the cold, rough stone floor. But it was still dark. My gasps and whimpers echoed into the dark. Where was I? Aro landed next to me quickly. He picked me up again, and started running through the dark. I had no sense of where I am. All I did is scream.


	2. Tortured

I knew I was going to die

I don't know how long it was. Hours? Days? Weeks? But time ceased to mean anything to me now. I knew I was going to die. My body was lying on a small bed, and it couldn't stop shaking from the fire that had blazed through me. My screams wouldn't stop. I was only aware of a few presences that came in and out of the room. Every time someone came in, I shrieked at them, "Please! Please! I beg you-please kill me!!" But they would always ignore my pleas.

Aro had put me in a small stone chamber. It seemed like a dungeon… it was cold, and there and was barely any light. This room was just like the dark tunnel where he first brought me. Cold, dark, and frightening. There was also a strange odor in the room, like some sort of salt, or a slightly rusty smell in the air. He had lain me down on a bed. Then he left me there and didn't come back. I clawed the empty air with my hands, desperate to make him come back to me. This was a nightmare; it had to be just a really horrible dream. Aro wouldn't do that to me. He's my brother. This was just a really bad dream. Please, I thought, just let me wake up from this nightmare. But as I continued to lie to myself, I knew it was no use. It was too real.

Just when I thought the pain couldn't get any worse, the flames had spread into my heart, and through my entire body, in a matter of seconds. I'd never felt that much pain in my entire life. Being married off seemed a much better option now than this.

My mind, however, was unbearably clear, and all I could think about was the fire as it burned through my chest, my legs, and my throat. Screams escaped from my mouth, non-stop. I writhed in pain, lying in darkness.

Mother and Father's faces were in my mind. Why was I so naïve? If I had just accepted the fact that I would be a woman, a man's wife, and nothing more, would I still be in this pain? Had the gods punished me for not knowing my place? Tears poured down my face as I continued to think of them. I wanted to go back home, to go back to the comforts of Mother and Father. Nothing could justify going through this pain.

It seemed like forever. The fire didn't decrease by any degree. Not only that, but the pain never paused either. Strangely, I became stronger as time dragged on. The screams stopped; it never did any good to scream. Soon enough, I could think around the pain. There were faint voices talking, far away, outside the stone chamber.

"Aro, this is ridiculous. Must we leave her to suffer in pain? Why don't we just devour her? She begs us to kill her, why not grant her wish?"

"Dear Caius, it would be a waste to kill her. I've waited for ten years until now, just so I could change her. I guarantee you that Didyme will have great powers like mine."

The man snarled, "If you insist on letting her live, then make yourself useful and find some food for us all. I'm starved."

I heard no more.

Later in the day, someone else had walked in. Their quiet footsteps echoed on the walls of the chamber. They didn't leave like the others. They just walked to my bedside. I didn't open my eyes to see who it was. Even though I had stopped screaming, I was still in too much pain to open them. Was it Aro? I waited a moment for them to say something. There was no response.  
I whispered quietly, "Aro?"

A man answered in a musical voice, "No, I am not your brother."

I frowned. It wasn't Aro. It was a stranger. Whoever he was though, he continued to stand there, next to my bedside.

"If… you… are not… Aro… then please kill me."

The man sighed, as if he knew exactly how much pain I was in, "I'm sorry. I know this is quite painful. But it will be over soon." Then he said nothing else.

I clenched my teeth. This was such a waste of my time. Will none of my desires be fulfilled? I can't go home, I'm suffering under this horrible torture, and I'm not even allowed to die. Why did I have to be burned alive in this fire? I whispered as hard and cold as I could, "If you won't end my suffering, then get out of my sight."

The man hesitated. He still didn't move. Then I screamed, "GET OUT!"

The sound of his faint footsteps echoed on the walls, as he walked out of the room.

The pain dragged on. I listened to the voices outside the small stone chamber. Some of the voices were going in and out of the walls. I heard them talking.

"Finally," Caius said, "I don't know why you insisted on staying here. The wench is in too much pain anyway."

Aro responded, "There's always a chance that they might run away."

Caius scoffed at him, "A weak little thing like her?"

"A person like you shouldn't be accusing others of being weak, Caius. Did you already forget that fight you almost lost with that monster?" He snickered.

Caius didn't respond. The conversation stopped there. There was a loud creaking, and then a thud. Then they were both gone.

My breathing was hoarse. I didn't know why my throat's so thirsty. I was so parched. Dry as bone, and burning with thirst…

At long last, the fire started to leave. It slowly faded away from my fingers and toes. But it was painfully slow. The fire didn't leave completely. Instead of staying in my fingertips, it went to my heart.

My heart burned even hotter. How was that possible? My heartbeat was beating too fast. The fire flared up inside my ribs. Would it never end?

Then my heart took off. Its sound had reminded me of lightning. The flames in my heart had absorbed every other fire in my body, and had fueled the most scorching blaze inside my chest. It had been like a thousand poisonous snakes sinking their fangs into this very tiny spot in my ribs. Another high-pitched scream had escaped from my lips. The pain had been enough to paralyze me. My heart had raced against the torturing fire. They were both fighting; they were both losing. The fire was facing defeat, having no more flesh to consume. My heart was also facing defeat, reaching toward its last beat.

The fire constricted and squeezed, concentrating inside that one remaining piece of organ, with one last, unbearable, surge. I couldn't even describe it. Not even a thousand strikes of lightning could have compared to the amount of pain it was. The surge was then answered by a deep hollow-sounding thud. My heart had stuttered two….three… then four times. Then there was one last, quiet, thud. Then there was no more.


	3. Escaped

This was it

_Am I dead?_ My chest crumpled in agony as I thought it over. I _am_ dead. There was no other answer. I couldn't hear my heart anymore, and the fire had disappeared completely. Why must I die so young? My life barely even started. _Oh well. It must be my destiny_. I waited in the dark for death to come and take me.

Nothing happened.

I opened my eyes to stare at the walls. _Why was I still here? I should be dead…..or am I condemned to a life of a ghost? _I gingerly got up from the bed. My mind thought over what had happened in the tunnels. I remembered that I had dropped my slippers in there, and my nightgown ripped in several places. My legs were about to flinch when my bare feet touched the floor. But it didn't feel cold anymore. In fact, the whole room felt unexpectedly warm. Looking around the chamber for the first time, I got a much clearer picture of the room. My eyes wandered across the chamber in amazement. The room wasn't as small as I thought, and it was quite beautifully built. The stone walls had a unique pattern carved into them. Small black etched diamonds and circles repeated themselves in the rough stone design. It reminded me of the beautiful stone walkways in the orchard. The ceiling stretched so high, looking as if it was two stories. The bed was in the middle of the room. Though quite big, its wooden legs were black as ash. It looked so ancient and out of place. The dim light that came out of the entrance to the room, shined on the ragged sheets that covered it. Though barely, I could see that the room was a long rectangular shape. I also noticed something else. Everything did seem very _different_. It looked…..clear. Crystal clear. Even though there was only a dim speck of light, I could see the details of every little diamond and circle in the wall, and all the scratches on the dark wooden legs of the bed.

It was also worse. The salty smell that was in the air was even stronger now. It gagged me. I coughed, and tried to hold my breath. After a few moments, I started breathing again in ragged breaths. _What is this…. _Although it seems that my sight is now better, my sense of smell became worse. The smell was too strong.

I paced the room, looking at everything. My feet scraped the black polished floor, making a strange scratching noise. _Where am I?_ Curiosity got the best of me. As I came up to the wall, I put my hand on the stones, and pressed on it, feeling the texture. It felt rough and smooth at the same time. What happened next was not what I expected. There was a loud, crumbling sound. Gasping, I pulled my hand away, shocked. The wall left a faint imprint of my hand.

It seemed so unreal, though the evidence is right in front of my eyes. _Did I just do that? _My eyes focused on that small place where the shape of my hand was. Lifting up my hand, I compared it to the imprint in the wall. I felt my eyes widen; it was the exact same.

My hands automatically went up to my mouth. _Impossible._

I have to get out of here. None of this even seems real anymore. There was no way I had just done that. This is a dream. How could Aro have come back, and kidnap me from home? He disappeared fifteen years ago. I was sure he was dead. And for him to actually take me away and….bite me?! Of course, Mother and Father didn't care about the disappearance, but he is my brother. I didn't care that he wasn't the perfect heir. He is family. But, this person didn't even look like my brother. When we were little, we both had sun kissed skin, tanned with the slightest touch; and this man's was…pale snow white. Of course he acted just like my brother…..but was that part of the act? Could my kidnapper just be a master of disguise?

Involuntarily, my body started shaking. I was hyperventilating.

_Calm down_, I told myself, _just calm down_. I was over thinking it again. Of course that was my brother. My brother is always the same as always, and he's just changed after these fifteen years. It was nothing to be worried about, it is? I still wanted one thing, and one thing only. Escape.

I have to get out of here.

My eyes swiftly analyzed the room. The only way out is the doorway, just a few meters away from me. My mind immediately thought over the possibilities of my escape; would someone catch me? And what if I get lost; I don't know my way around here. When Aro had carried me through the tunnels, I was in too much pain to observe them, and to take in which way I had come from.

Walking to the doorway, and poked my head out of the chamber to get a better perspective of my surroundings. I gulped. It was a hallway, and from what I can see, this room was at the very end of it. There was a torch hanging on the right side of the black ugly stone wall, only a few meters away from me. Light touched the entrance of the chamber, but it couldn't go any farther into the hall. From what I could see, the hallway had no end. The light of the torch was very dim, and the flame looked as if it was going to blow out at any moment. My arms crossed, and I rubbed my elbows nervously. How am I going to find my way out of _this_?

But I have to, if I was ever going to find a way out of here. I just had to go home. But then what? What would I tell Mother and Father? That Aro kidnapped me? No, they would find him and kill him, even if he was my brother. My body shivered at the thought; I never ever seen someone die before, and thinking about it, especially if it was my brother being executed, made me shake in fright. Mother and Father are one the richest families in town, and they are known for their merciless tactics. Years ago, when Father and I took a stroll in the streets, I remembered one time a street rat threw a rotten apple at Father. Father was very angry, and I've never seen him this way before; he called the guards to seize up the street rat, and they took him away. Of course, I was only five, and Mother and Father never told me what happened to him. It was only a few nights later, that Aro told me in secret that the street rat was dead.

I continued to stare into the endless hallway. The darkness of it irked me. _Be brave Didyme, be brave. _I chanted to myself again, and again.

Quietly, I stepped out of the room. Closing my eyes, I listened for anyone who might be in the hallway. There was only the sound of my breathing. Taking deep breath, I started walking.

My footsteps made absolutely no sound. When I walked far enough until I was under the light, I paused and plucked the torch from the wall. My hand tightened on its metal hold. Surprisingly, the metal bent and twisted within my grasp. I looked down at it with a quiet surprise. _This is quite fragile_.

Some instinct took over. My foot moved forward automatically and started running. The ugly walls passed me in a blur as I sped through the hallway. The speed was exhilarating, I never ran this fast before. But the thrill took the fear away. The only light source is the flame that I now held in my hand. Using my other free one, I put it on the wall, letting it slide against it as I ran. Small stones crumbled under my touch. I giggled. This feels like a dream…maybe a nightmare.

Then my run came to a halt. I reached an intersection in the hallway. Pausing, I observed my choices. Using the torch, I pointed it into the right hallway so I could see if there was anything there, and then pointed it in the front hall ahead of me, and to the left one. All of them looked the same. Which way should I go? Straight, left, or right? _Be brave._ Something was telling me to go left. I turned cautiously, looking for a sign if someone was there. Nothing. I started running again. Soon after, I reached another intersection; I went straight. Suddenly, another appeared; I turned left. Not even bothering to run again, I reached another intersection, this time only right or left; I chose right. My feet were instinctively telling me which way to go, even though I had no idea where I was going.

This dragged on for a long time. I was getting nowhere. I was repeatedly reaching intersections, and I obeyed my consciousness. Maybe it was wrong. I felt hopelessly lost.

It was then, that I heard someone's quiet cough. In less than a second, I crouched down to the ground. The torch fell out of my hands. Without my intention, it landed beside me with a loud clang. The sound of it echoed through the hallway, for a long, dragging second. Then the flames went out. The hallway turned pitch black.

I was frozen in shock.

_Oh no, what if someone heard me?_ I was so frightened. Being surrounded in darkness didn't help. If it weren't for the loud clang the torch made, maybe I could have slowly slipped away, unnoticed. But there was no way no one would have heard that.

In the pitch black darkness, I desperately listened closer for any other sounds. Then I heard them. From faraway, there were faint sounds of footsteps, becoming louder, and faster with each second. The slow pace became a fast walk, and then a run.

And I wasn't stupid.

I took off. It was hard to see in the dark. And the only thing that guided me was the sound of whoever's footsteps it was. I knew I had to get further away from them. As the sound became louder, I ran from it. Turning left, right, I didn't stop running. That was all I could do in the dark.

The fear made me unaware of my surroundings. In half a second, I slammed into the wall; the wall crumbled a little from the impact of my body. Small stones cracked, and chipped from under me. Cringing, I thought my body had also broken some bones. But it didn't. A chill went down my spine when I realized where I had gone. Murmuring to myself, I cried out desperately, "No, no, no….."

It was a dead end.

The footsteps from grew louder. I was trapped. My hands clawed the walls, and ceiling in hopes that a miracle would appear. As the footsteps grew louder, I heard them turn, and then a sigh, as they slowed to a walk. Each distinct step echoed through the hall, coming closer and closer. I gasped; they were only a few walks away from me.

I jumped even higher and clawed the air above me. There was a quiet clanging; my hands hit something metal. Jumping again, my hands caught a metal handle. Driven with fear, I pulled. A loud metal noise erupted from the small space. I pulled even harder. The ceiling started to open. Seconds later, I realized what I was pulling on. It was a door. A trap door in the ceiling.

From the other side of the door, the scents of flower and the sound of a small stream reached my nose and ears. It was a door that led outside.

Moonlight shined into the small dark space where I was once trapped. The light spread into the hallway, until at last reached my pursuer. My face turned toward them, trying to get a glimpse of who it was. My body froze. For a second, I stared at them. It was a man, a man wearing a black cloak just like my brother. His black raven hair glistened in the moonlight. The man looked like he was about thirty years of age. He was very tall, and the face of an angel was on his face, like a stone statue. The one thing that really made me awe was that this man was extremely beautiful.

The posture he had, suggested that he was about to prance at me. But he had stopped walking, and he stood there staring at me as well, frozen like I am in this moment.

I was faster. Breaking the trance, I pulled even harder until the opening was big enough for me to go through. The man returned to his pursuit. He ran with breathtaking speed. But it was too late. Letting go of the handle, I jumped up into the air, through the opening. Landing onto the grass, I stared into the hole of where I came from, as the metal door closed.

The man shouted, "NO!" And then the trapdoor slammed shut. Silence followed. I waited a minute to see if he was still coming after me. The door didn't open again.

When I felt sure I was safe, I sighed heavily. My body flopped down onto the earth, and spread out with ease. I escaped.

I looked around me, in wonder.


	4. Awed

The scent of flowers filled the air like a heavy fog. Trees towered over me, yet there was still a sliver gleam of light shining on the trap door. The sound of a stream flowed in the distance, right behind the desolate woods. Fresh green grass covered the earth. Not even an iota of dirt could be seen. I turned my head sideways, and I narrowed my eyes trying to see what was in the distance. Nothing. Getting up from the ground, I stood upright, straightening myself to see where I was. The trees were still in my way. Using my hands, I pushed the branches away. There was a quick snap, and the branch fell to the ground. I stared in awe, but I continued to get deeper into the trees. There were very sharp branched. Closing my eyes, I walked through them, waiting for them to cut me. To my surprise, the sharp branches tickled my skin. My hands grabbed the empty air; there were no more leaves of branches. I opened my eyes and stared into the distance. I took in a shocked breath.

I was on top of a hill. A very high hill that could almost look like a mountain. Looking down, anyone would think that this is a cliff. A stream trickled down from the top, down to the bottom of the high hill. From down below, a great forest stretched from the edge of the stream, to far beyond what I could see. The forest was interminable. Moonlight shined on the climax of the hill, exactly where I stood. The light made my skin glow.

I was entranced at the beauty of the place. Turning my body, I continued to look around the place in wonder.

After a few moments, I started walking towards the sound of trickling water. Through the trees, I easily snapped the branches out of my way. Pine cones crunched under my bare feet as I walked toward the stream. The sound of trickling water became louder and louder. Ducking from one big branch, I stepped into the small open area. My eyes widened when it came into view. A small pool of crystal clear water lay in the middle of the small space. A small stream, connected to the pool, stretched from the top of the hill, and flowed down into the river down below. Rocks and pebbles lay inside the water.

Walking to the pool, I dropped to my knees at the edge of the water. A few fish swam inside the pool, but when they noticed me, they immediately swam back into their holes. I saw only black. When the moonlight came into the pool, I gasped at what I saw. Inside the pool, a beautiful women with long black curly hair stared back at me with the same shock I had. Even though she wore a ragged nightgown, her body was attenuated and slender. Her skin was pallid white, though she didn't look sick at all. I stared at her face the most, for it was the most beautiful part of her. The cheeks weren't overly gaunt or rotund, they were just right. Her lips were small and full, and pallid as well. When I looked up at her eyes, we both squeaked out a shrill. Though quite beautiful, the eyes were full of venom red. The ruby red eyes didn't seem to fit on the woman's face at all. It looked very out of place.

When I moved my hand to touch the water, the woman moved with me. We looked at each other with matching expressions. Then comprehension filled her face. Oh…this is me. Except, it looked nothing like me. I couldn't stop staring at my reflection in the water.

I stood up again. Bored at staring at my reflection for so long, I followed the stream down hill. Going down hill was really hard; it was so steep, I almost had to run. But I held onto the rocks as I made my way down.

At the bottom, the stream had turned into a river, connecting other streams as well. More trees surrounded the area. The trees were so tall it looked as if they touched the sky. My head lifted and I looked up at the moon. The clouds that blocked the white circle slowly moved away. A full moon shined down the trees with radiant moonlight. I stood there, entranced again, at the beauty of it. My lips pulled up in a small smile.

Then, a loud howl broke out from the forest.

My face turned toward the sound, shocked. I froze where I was, and listened closely for anymore sounds. My eyes stared into the green trees. I didn't even breathe. _Wolves_, I thought. But it sounded closer to a beast than a wolf.

Frightened, I quickly ran into the other side of the forest, toward the opposite direction from where the sound came from.

The trees passed by me in a blur. Branches hit my face as I ran through the trees, but I was unscathed. I didn't dare stop running. Though the howl faded away, the beast might still be there. My instinct told me I had to get away from it.

After an hour, I stopped. My back leaned on a large tree trunk, and my hands gripped the wood. Hearing no more sounds, I began to breathe again. I sat down onto the roots of the tree. The tall tree created a canopy of where I was sitting. Closing my eyes, I sighed.

I was in the middle of nowhere. This is just a forest, an interminable forest. I was lost. What was the point of running away? There was no way I could find my way home in this dense forest. Maybe Aro would have come back and taken me home. He would, he's my brother. If I asked him for something, he would do it. He is my brother. But…if I stayed in that dark tunnel, I would have suffered under more pain. My body cringed at the memory.

Frustrated, I got up from my short break, and continued walking.

After a while, trees started clearing away. Lesser trees started to appear, and a path started to open. The dirt path was narrow at first, but widened as I continued to follow it. Many scents stirred in the air. The enticing scent of apples, peaches, oranges, and flowers, of all kinds, attracted my nose. But there were no apples, peaches, or oranges. There were no flowers. It was only this dirt path in front of me. Even so, the smell made my throat throb in pain. My throat was so dry; I was so hungry. I sped up my stride.


	5. Killed

I dragged my feet forward one step at a time. It seemed like forever, and I still didn't find that sweet aroma, even as it continued to torture my nose. My throat was burning like red hot flames.

All I saw now was an ugly dirt road. The signs of life were all gone. The night was slowly fading away. And sometimes, I would hear the cry of a night owl. My bare feet were smudged with disgusting mud.

But I still didn't stop. No thoughts came to me. I just had one objective in my mind: _find that smell._ As my feet scraped the barren ground of the empty dirt path, I heard a faint whisper in the distance. Suddenly, something inside of me clicked. The aroma suddenly became stronger. _Must find this smell._ I automatically started running. My body moved like an animal, and my mouth hung open; my arms were instinctively raised with my clawed hands. Then, I stopped abruptly; a big shadow towered over me, and I looked up to see a giant boulder.

_It's close…it's very close…_Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. Then, a voice spoke from not far away.

"Mama…mama…" a child's voice said. The child wasn't in my sight yet, though I could sense it was just behind this rugged rock; the large boulder blocked the dirt path, sitting like one of those lazy fat men at the parties. The very presence of the rock annoyed me. It was another obstacle that blocked me from my haven. My patience was used up.

I struck the humungous rugged rock with my hand. A thundering sound erupted. The boulder shattered into hundreds of little rocks, little pebbles, and little dust specks. I jumped back, startled at what happened. A dust cloud filled the air, and spread throughout rapidly. A growl escaped from my lips.

_The pain, I have to stop this pain._ My throat burned even more. The scorching flame was alien to me, but I had to find something to relieve my throat of this horrible torture. A whimpering cry sounded in my ears. My eyes darted through the dust cloud trying to find where it came from. My head fumed, angry at my temporary blindness. I clenched my teeth.

I waited patiently, and the dust cloud slowly started to fade away. My feet tread forward again. Each footstep made a distinct sound as my bare feet crunched the broken down rocks. A flowery scent guided me through the small wreckage that I made. It became stronger, and stronger. Then, I found the source of the aroma. As the dust faded away completely, I found a child lying on the ground flat on its back. It was a little girl. Her head lifted up to see me; she looked up at me with frightened eyes.

The look stopped me for a half a second. I saw in the reflection of her eyes, a red eyed monster with human skin: me.

I pounced.

My hands clawed everywhere. First, I grabbed a leg, and pulled it towards me. The girl squeaked a frightened sound. My teeth sank into the leg. A sweet liquid gushed into my mouth. The girl screamed, and tears poured down her face. _More!_ Another hand went to her neck, and I heard a sickening crack. The screaming stopped suddenly, and the small body went limp. I sank my teeth into her elbow. _More…_I bit harder…

A high piercing scream sounded in the distance. I dropped the body, and jumped up on my feet, my eyes darted around the area. Further down the path, a woman was looking up at me with the same expression as the girl. Her poor ragged dress suggest that she was a commoner.

My eyes looked at her hungrily, and thirstily. I breathed in the new scent through my nose…_mmm, wisteria. _

_More…I need more!!!_ Dropping the child's carcass, I ran towards the woman. The woman still was quite a distance away from me; she dropped the pot that she held in her hands, and it shattered into pieces as she ran down the path.

But, she still was too slow. I already caught up to her. Out came a blood curling scream from her mouth. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her back to me. She was breathing in gasps, and struggled to get free. Reaching up my arm, I snapped her neck like the child, and she stopped her struggling. Then I sank my teeth into her flesh. The fire in my throat was doused with this liquid, and it cooled.

The body eventually ran out of blood. Slowly, I regained my consciousness. I released my mouth from the flesh. Then I looked around myself. I was dazed with disbelief. _Oh my god…_for some reason, I started shaking. My hands shook violently as I dropped the woman's body. It landed to the ground with a soft thud. Then, I put my palms to my face, and dropped down to my knees. _I did this…I murdered a mother and child…_

I wanted to die.


	6. Realized

The night was long, dragging time endlessly. I didn't know where I was, or how I ended up here. Once again, I was in the depths of the woods. My body was slumped against the rough bark of an evergreen. My eyes stayed fixed on the branches and leaves above me that rustled slightly when the gentlest wind passed through. I stayed frozen in that position for a long time. There was a trail of blood, leading to where I sat. They were tiny red drops of blood, covering the grass and the roots of trees that sprouted from the brown soil. My eyes never strayed from the leaves above me. Although I clearly knew how and why there was blood, I refused to remember. I refused to look at my blood soaked garment, and I denied myself to remember what happened just a few hours ago. I just stared at the leaves above me.

The trees blocked out the moonlight, casting an interminable darkness in the woods. Time held no meaning anymore. _Maybe it is morning already,_ I thought. The woods were dead silent. Not once did I hear the rustle of a squirrel, or the chirping of a bird. It disturbed me.

However, I remained calm. Nothing could be as bad as what just happened…

I stayed there, meditating under the canopy of thick leaves. I willed myself not to think, or move the slightest inch. There were brief breezes that passed through the woods, which blew my thick dark hair in front of my face. This annoyance didn't break me from my trance. I didn't even blink once.

Only a small part of my mind asked me, _why is that_?

Something was wrong. I waited for my eyes to droop down, so I could slip into unconsciousness. I leaned my back against the trunk of the tree, trying to settle my head in a comfortable spot, so I could sleep. My hands grabbed a handful of soft grass from the ground, and put them behind my head, to make it more comfortable. But I still stayed awake. Why couldn't I sleep? My mind was mentally exhausted. Why couldn't I fall into unconsciousness?

After a while, small rays of light found its way into the small holes of the canopy. They did not touch me, and I was glad that I stayed immersed in darkness. I wanted to stay here forever, and leave the world behind me. I wanted to forget everything. I wanted to forget me. As time passed, I couldn't even tell whether I was dreaming or not. Everything was in a daze. I didn't feel angry, sad, or happy. I felt nothing.

For the first time, I heard something. Far away, the faint whispers of a man speaking in another tongue sounded in my ears. The sound faded away. After a short pause, the voices started up again. The sounds of faint footsteps pounding the hard earth boomed loud and clear in my ears. It grew louder, and louder. I realized someone was coming towards me. He was running incredibly fast, following the trail of blood that I made. He came closer, and I could hear the swooshing of the wind as he ran. When he was only a few yards away, I heard him slow down his run. His distinct footsteps were loud and clear as he stomped on the rough ground. Then, emerging from the trees, I saw the furious face of a pale gaunt man dressed in a black cloak. He had a messy arrangement of snow white hair, which stood out on his head. His eyebrows sank into the center of his face, making him look like an angry serpent.

My head twisted towards him. I looked at him man neither frightened, nor intimidated. His expression didn't terrify me one bit. The man seemed to struggle to contain his anger. His arms shook, and his body trembled. I just sat there, looking at him with indifference.

"You stupid, impudent little girl!" he blurted out of him mouth.

His lips curled over his teeth. My silent stare provoked him. He came toward me, and swung his hand across my face. A sharp slap sounded as his hands contacted the skin on my cheek. The impact pushed me back, and my head hit the tree trunk, causing another loud noise to erupt through the woods. As the seconds passed, the tree I hit against cracked, and snapped in half. It broke, and landed to the ground behind my back, with the small boom. I lay there staring at the ground shocked. Slowly, I brought my left hand to my cheek, and rubbed it softly. It didn't hurt at all. Then, my mind became clear. Suddenly, anger flowed through me. Never, have I been slapped in such a rude manner. Never have I been slapped by a man before.

My hands clawed the ground, and the dirt went into my nails. Slowly, I got up. My hands were clenched in fists. I turned my head slowly towards him. He still towered over me, but I mustered as much venom as I could as I looked into his eyes. A snarl escaped from my lips. He looked at me with a bemused expression, which angered me more.

"How. Dare. You." I spitted out.

Then, I ran towards him, and swung my hands to his face. A thundering noise sounded when I hit him. The impact of my punch sent him flying backwards. His body hit the trees, and the trunks shook at the force I exerted. He dropped down to the ground like a dropped doll.

I stared at the man on the ground, who a second ago slapped me. My anger disappeared in an instant, as I slowly realized what I did. My eyes wandered over to the fallen trees. They widened as I stared closer at the trees that toppled over. I breathed heavily, in gasps. Fear took me over. My hands went up to cover my face, so I could not see the impossible sight. _I could not have done this_, I thought. _This has to be a dream…I have to wake up._

Just then, someone grabbed my hair. They yanked on it with excessive force, and I was pulled to the ground. I whimpered. My eyes searched for the person who yanked my hair. Then, they yanked my hair again and pulled my head up from the ground. I was forced to look up at him.

I looked at him in brief surprise. It was the man I'd thrown to the ground moments ago. How did he recover so fast? His face had the same glare earlier. This time though, I did shake in fear. He forced me to stare straight into his eyes. Then he spit on me. It was not a clear liquid, but a dark red one. It dripped from my cheeks to my neck. He grabbed my hair very tightly. It was extremely uncomfortable.

His spoke with fury, "You wench…"

"Caius!"

Our heads turned toward the new voice. My heart warmed when I saw his face. It was Aro. Aro looked disapprovingly at the man who held onto my hair. Caius growled and let go of me. I slumped to the ground with a soft thud. Then, out of nowhere, he kicked me at my side. I whimpered again. Aro shouted, "Caius!"

Caius glared at him. Aro held a hand out to him, as if inviting him to put his hand in Aro's. Caius turned his head, and marched off into the woods without another word. Aro looked after him in surprise. When I couldn't hear the pounding of Caius' footsteps anymore, I looked up at Aro again. Aro sighed, and then he turned his face towards me, and smiled.

In a swift movement, he came to me and pulled me up from the ground. Aro cupped my face in his hands, and said, "Thank goodness you're safe, Didyme."

Then, I wrapped my arms around him. He staggered back as I hugged him. "Oh, Aro! I was so scared. The man was very cruel. But then, I hit him, and I don't know how- but I think I broke those trees, then-"

"Didyme, let go…you're crushing me…" Aro said in a strained voice. It was like he was in pain. I automatically pulled my arms to my side, worried that I hurt my brother.

Aro smiled down at me, and he took my hands and cupped them in his palms. He closed his eyes, and went into trance.

_What is he doing? _Nervously, I asked him, "Aro? What's wrong?"

He didn't respond. After a few moments, his eyes opened. He let go of my hands. Aro turned away from me, and brought his hands over his mouth, as if trying to contain something. I asked again in a small whisper, "What's wrong?"

Then, he surprised me. Aro burst out laughing. He moved himself away from me. He walked over to a tree, and started banging his handsat the trunk in his uncontrollable laughter. I stared not sure what was happening to him. Aro's laughter echoed through the woods loud and clear. My eyes bore into him shrewdly. What was he laughing about? What's so funny…

Aro's laughter died down when he saw my expression. He continued to laugh, but then he regained himself. Aro came to me again. His eyes looked down at me, like he had some kind of authority over me. They were warm, yet cold at the same time. Then, he asked in a serious tone, "Didyme, what were you doing? Why did you run away?"

I looked away from him. I felt embarrased yet proud. I said in a strong voice, "I didn't want to stay…I want to go home…"

Aro frowned said in a matter-of-fact tone, "You know that our parents wanted to marry you off…what home would you go back to?"

I stared at the ground, not sure what to say next. Aro was right though. I didn't want to get married. But I also didn't want to be taken away from home, it just didn't seem right. But then, a new question came up, "Aro, what did you do to me? You…b-bit me, and then, you set me on fire…and then, I woke up in that dark tunnel, and I-I…"

I stumbled on what words to say next. My anger rose again as I realized that Aro had done all this. I looked at him straight into the eye and said to him in a hard voice, "I'm not staying with you. I want to go home." My body stiffined in response. I didn't want to be a weak person in front of my brother.

Aro sighed, and frowning at me, saying, "You can't go back now. I saw what you did to those poor peasants earilier…"

Immediately, I volted. I was shocked, how could Aro have seen me kill those innocent people? I brought my hands up to my face, covering them in fear. My voice shook as I said, "No! Stop, I don't want to hear anymore..." I started shaking again. THe images were coming back

Aro said to me soothingly, "It's alright. Everyone does that their first time." He patted my head, then he rest his hands on my shoulder.

I stared into his eyes, and saw his mysterious red pupils. I stared into Aro's eye in fear. There was one thing for sure; he isn't human. And neither am I. I asked the question in my mind, _what am I?_

As if he read my mind, Aro smiled down at me reassuringly, "You are a vampire. Like me."


End file.
